Book Review 2: Acceleration

Biography: Graham McNamee was born in Toronto, Canada, in August of 1967. His writing began in high school when he took a creative writing course. He got suspended for being "overly confrontational", and failed the course. A few years down the road, he entered a competition for writing a young adult novel. Whoever won got their book published. Graham ended up coming in second place, but his book was published anyway. That was his first book, Hate You which is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. His next novel, Sparks, won the PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. Acceleration is his third and latest novel which received the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. Currently, Graham McNamee works at the Vancouver Public Library.

Summary: There’s a killer on the loose and Duncan, a high school student, becomes the detective after finding the psycho’s diary at the Lost and Found. The diary is full of the killer’s thoughts and past actions which lead Duncan to believe the man is out to get more. No one else knows about the diary, except Duncan’s friend, Vinny, and the police who show no interest in the matter. Vinny and Duncan discover all sorts of clues to in order to crack the case, yet some fall through. In the end, Duncan… wait, what am I doing? The end is for you to find out. Read Acceleration and find out whether the killer is caught or not!

Review: Now I know why they have the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I expected the story to be a bit more frightening due to the design of the cover, but once I began to read it and got further and further into it, it was not what I predicted it to be. I enjoyed the book and was constantly caught into what the main character, Duncan, was doing and thinking. His interest in the diary and wanting to find the guy kept me anxious to discover what would happen. I did not expect the ending to be what it was. I thought there would be a bigger and exciting ending. The descriptions and events kept my attention throughout. I loved book and would recommend it to any young reader who loves a mystery!

My book review is also located at Barnes and Noble and Borders.

Acceleration

Now I know why they have the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I expected the story to be a bit more frightening due to the design of the cover, but once I began to read it and got further and further into it, it was not what I predicted it to be. I enjoyed the book and was constantly caught into what the main character, Duncan, was doing and thinking. His interest in the diary and wanting to find the guy kept me anxious to discover what would happen. I did not expect for the guy whose diary it was to die at end. I thought there would be a bigger and exciting ending. Overall, I loved book!
When the author describes the Lost and Found basement in which Duncan works, I thought it was depressing. I could actually picture an open place, as big as a school gymnasium where everything echos, with rows and rows of tall, old rusty shelves with a bunch of lost items covered in dust. I could see the lights swinging back and forth and flicker as the subway would go by above. You can’t help but feel Duncan’s mood and what it is like to work at a place such as the Lost and Found.
“I was the one who didn’t save her” (p. 11) was an occurring thought in Duncan’s mind throughout the story. He constantly thought about the drowning of his friend and tied it into what was really happening with the diary. What child has not experienced something that has changed them completely whether for the good or worse? Events, whether small or large, cause a person’s self esteem to decrease or disappear, such as Duncan’s after seeing a friend drown and not being able to save her. I liked Ch. 13 when Duncan had a flashback to last fall right after his friend’s drowning where his dad told the story about the man who was JFK’s body guard being interviewed on TV. It was neat how his dad related the man’s emotions to Duncan’s in order to try and help him feel better. Now, he has recurring nightmares of the girl’s drowning mixed with what is currently going on with the psycho’s diary. Is Duncan’s interest in finding the guy and wanting to save the women’s lives supporting his need to have a second chance in saving someone since he could not save his friend? It’s like Vinny says, “You think because you couldn’t save her----you’re getting, what, a second chance?” (p. 104)
I could see how Duncan’s life was affected by the people he spent time with, especially by the “life of crime” with Wayne and his relationship with Kim. It was interesting how he thinks of Kim throughout story as if it helps him in some way solve the psycho man mystery, and then she shows up by his hospital bed at the end. It is understandable of why Duncan does not share the diary with anyone until the middle of the story when he tells Vinny about it. He is afraid that the police and anyone else will think it is his and that he wrote and drew all the entries. Once the information in the diary about the women is found to be true, Duncan no longer takes the situation about the diary/journal lightly and becomes more intrigued and serious about finding the guy. Duncan becomes a detective. I would be just like Duncan where those types of entries in a diary would interest me, yet gross and freak me out at the same time. He was pretty smart when he was able to figure out clues as he reads and re-reads each page. It’s fun to solve mysteries and any child who reads this book will become involved just like Duncan.
There was a part of the book which broke away from the seriousness of the diary. Duncan was home with his mom after a long day of “hunting” and he is thinking, “I’ve spent the last couple of hours fumbling around trying to find one particular psycho in a city that must have hundreds of them. And now, after a hard night of stalking, sweating, and confusion, I’m home eating Mom’s grilled-cheese sandwiches, chatting about an imaginary date I was just on.” (p.76) So, even though Duncan is acting older while solving a mystery, he is still a teen who spends time with his family. Young adults can either relate to or learn from this. You don’t have to be grown up all the time.

Miracle's Boys

How many children experience something that completely changes them or someone they know very well? Kids today are in the same situations as the boys in Miracle’s Boys. Some have lost their mother or father, have seen a friend or family member be sent off somewhere and return as a different person, and other similar situations. Events such as these have a great affect on children and young adults. Lafayette’s brother,Charlie, has changed, but he does not understand why. He compares what his brother Charlie used to be like before and after attending Rahway Home for Boys. He doesn’t like Newcharlie because he no longer cares. It is difficult to understand what exactly Rahway did to Charlie. I like how the main character calls Charlie a stranger. That is perfect for the situation. He knows it is his brother, but his personality and behavior have changed. Apparently Charlie used to be a nicer guy, but now Charlie finds anything to criticize, such as their dad saving a woman and her dog. “Saving a dog and a white woman is a stupid way to die. Only thing in the world you need to save is your own self” (p.17). This represents Charlie’s new personality, which causes more problems in the family. In chapter 1, Lafayette gives a good image of how Charlie has changed. He compares him to what happens when their great aunt breaks open ripe watermelons. “When we get home, she always takes it out back and breaks it open against a rock, then scoops out the heart of it—the sweetest, reddest part- and hands it to me. I stared out the window. Somebody had done that to Charlie: scooped out his heart and sent the empty bitter rind of him on home” (p.6). I love this because I can picture the watermelon with nothing after its insides are removed. What an excellent image!I realized that many of the events that occur in the book Charlie and Lafayette used to do before Charlie when to Rahway. Lafayette has many flashbacks to better times with Charlie. What I discovered is Charlie denies what Lafayette says he used to do or be like, but Charlie shows in his face that he knows it is all true. Lafayette can’t even make comments in order to correct Charlie because he knows he will get a harsh comment back. I would recommend this book to young adults, especially for read in a classroom because it presents good topics to discuss such as Charlie and what the three boys go through. It was a great book!

A Step from Heaven

This was a GREAT story. I would recommend this book to young adults. Many of the events the main character, Young Ju, goes through Young Ju reminds me of a young, very curious, and innocent child who finds the world fascinating. Although her family believes she has an imagination, she is asking questions out of curiosity and because that is what she thinks, such as Mi Gook being “Heaven.” I did not know that Mi Gook meant “America” until the end of the section called “Mi Gook.” I interpreted it as another city in Korea. Young Ju learns and satisfies her curiosity through modeling and support of older family members.
I love the short story form instead of the normal long chapters. What An Na had to say for each section of Young Ju’s preparation of moving to and living in America was detailed where I knew what was going on. I believe anyone can relate to Young Ju’s emotions when entering a new situation and atmosphere. As she discovers more of Mi Gook (America) and what her Uhmma makes her do in order to become a Mi Gook girl, I feel Young Ju’s unhappiness. A change in hairstyle, leaving her Halmoni behind because she was told Halmoni was too old and Mi Gook is only for young children makes Young Ju curious that America is not Heaven. I feel Young Ju is scared and sad of what is to come as she moves to America. To leave what you know and have grown with is difficult. Everything is new and Young Ju is unsure about it all.
What is fascinating is we get an inside look as to how a bilingual student who comes in knowing basically nothing, especially the language spoken, interacts with their peers. Young Ju experinces a language barrier when she begins school. Only certain parts of words she recognizes and understands, but she has to watch the other students to understand what is being said. Luckily, I could translate some which was fun to do! Some are below:

· “Ah ri cas, ca mo ve he” translates to “All right, class. Come over here.” (p.29)
· “Go-do-feesh” transates to “Goldfish” (P.32)

Later in the book, Young Ju faces a few challenges, such as her new baby brother Park Joon Ho, money and family concerns (Apa does not provide enough for the family and drinks), has to speak Korean at home, witnessing her brother being abused by their dad, and other similar challenges. Kids today have similar challenges and can relate to Young Ju. This story is realistic in the idea that kids see their friends or family getting abused, their family has crisis, and jealousy and attention issues when someone new is brought into the family.
I liked the chapters that were all about the daily adventures of Young Ju and Joon. It was a good break from the troubles and concerns Young Ju had. It made it seem as if her life was good at times in America and not everything was bad. But even though Young Ju’s family has moved to America, they do not like how Americans behave, especially girls Young Ju’s age because they are boy crazy and are not serious about their studies. This was interesting to me. I wonder if immigrant families felt/feel this way after moving here. What I did not expect was for Apa to become so upset by Young Ju’s behavior of “becoming too American” as the story explains. It is normal for a family to not want their child to forget their culture and where they come from, but I did not think that her dad would be so against her spending time with Amanda. From the beginning, Uhmma was saying how America is better for her children, but as the story goes on, Uhmma and Apa feel American ways are not good because they see Young Ju changing in her behavior. It was neat how, at first, Young Ju did not like America and what she had to do in order to be a good American when she was younger, but as she grew and was exposed to the American culture, she found herself wishing her family could show some of the American behaviors. She was no longer afraid and sad about being there.
I realized that Young Ju spends more time with Amanda and becomes more American because her family, more or so her Apa, has become abusive towards her Uhmma and herself, and Amanda’s family provides a safe and happier environment. Her family is kind towards Young Ju and makes Young Ju feel appreciated and important.
I liked how each chapter has Young Ju and her family getting older. I actually didn’t realize that was going on until a few chapters in. Also, each chapter would have a new name of either a family member or friend and I had no idea who it was until a description or clue was given later in the chapter or story.
And at the very end, I enjoyed how Uhmma shared pictures that were hidden all the past years with Young Ju and one of them was a picture of Apa, Young Ju, and Uhmma at the beach in Korea. It was the day Apa taught Young Ju how to be brave jumping into the waves which was the very first chapter of the story. That was so neat and a very personal connection for Young Ju.

Video Booktalk 1: Standing Against the Wind

Book Review 1: Standing Against the Wind

Biography: Traci L. Jones has written ever since she was a child. She loves to write for teens and stated in her biography, "It is such a hectic, wonderful, turbulent time in life. Full of promise and full of misery. A time to laugh while crying." Standing Against the Wind is her debut novel and it received the Coretta Scott King Award. She currently lives with her husband and four children in Denver, Colorado.

Summary: Patrice had a happy life when she lived in Georgia. She was taken from her home to live with her grandma because her mom was sent to prison. Patrice and her sister are now stuck living with their Auntie Mae. Patrice longs to get away from Chicago where she is teased and frightened by a group of guys who make fun of her wild hair. But, Monty Freeman who is a member of that boys group is different because he is kind towards Patrice. Monty becomes interested in Patrice due to her interest in schoolwork and good grades. While taking care of her cousins one day, Patrice learns of a scholarship for a prestigious African American boarding school in Mississippi. She wants to apply and attempts the challenge of filling out the application and all its parts by herself. Will she get in? You will have to read to find out!

Awards: Coretta Scott King Award

Review: Standing Against the Wind is a great, simple story which is easy to understand. I love how the story is from Patrice's point-of-view. It is perfect for junior high students, especially since they can relate to being picked on whether it has been themselves as the target or picking on someone else. The vocabulary throughout the book is not too challenging, yet the dialogue may be hard to follow if students are not aware of that kind of speaking. Overall, it is a great story. I give it two thumbs up!

My review can be found at Barnes and Noble and Borders.

Craft Lesson 1: “I Can Feel It!” (Description)

Materials:
Book: Standing Against the Wind by Traci L. Jones

Discussion:
When young adults read a story, they automatically get into the characters and the plot of the story. Their attention is grabbed by what the characters are like and what happens in the story. But one thing young adult readers may miss is the variety of descriptive words and phrases the authors use in supporting the story and keeping it alive. With descriptions, the young adult reader has an open window to further understanding the story. They can picture what the character is feeling and what the world around the characters is like.

How to Teach It:
A good story has a lot of description and strong words in order to show and allow the audience to feel what is happening. Description helps the reader to fully understand what a character is going through and experiencing. Strong descriptions of people, objects, and occurrences create a picture which makes a story stand out. Writers make a character and their life realistic by using descriptive words and phrases. Listen to the descriptions and words Traci L. Jones uses in her book Standing Against the Wind:

Ex 1: "The January wind blew directly into Patrice's face. It seemed to reach right through her coat's thin fabric and under her hand-me-down sweatshirt, and pinch her arms with icy, sharp fingers." (Chapter 1, p. 4)

What is Jones talking about when she used the words “icy, sharp fingers” Why did she use those words? Are there really icy, sharp fingers pinching Patrice? What does Jones want you to understand? Jones is comparing the January wind to a bunch of icy, sharp fingers in order to show how cold the wind is upon Patrice’s skin as she walks along the sidewalk. Notice the descriptions Jones uses when she describes Patrice’s clothes. She uses the phrases “thin fabric” and “hand-me-down sweater.” What do think about and picture when you hear “thin fabric?” What about “hand-me-down sweater?” Listen to the descriptions in another example from Standing Against the Wind:

"Patrice glanced from Michael to Monty and felt relief flood through her body." (Chapter 1, p. 19)

What do you feel and think of when you hear the word “flood” in general? What did you think of and picture in your mind when you heard Jones use “flood” in the sentence? What was Patrice feeling? Patrice's emotion of relief is described well. That sentence and the word “flood” allow you to visualize the strong sense of relief she felt.

Bibliography:
Jones, T (2006). Standing Against the Wind. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Standing Against the Wind

Standing Against the Wind is a great, simple story which is easy to understand. I love how the story is from Patrice's point-of-view. It is perfect for junior high students, especially since they can relate to being picked on whether it has been themselves as the target or picking on someone else. The vocabulary throughout the book is not too challenging, yet the dialogue may be hard to follow if students are not aware of that kind of speaking.The descriptions and comparisons of characters between objects and objects between other objects are great. For example, in Chapter 1, Jones compares the January wind to a bunch of icy, sharp fingers: "The January wind blew directly into Patrice's face. It seemed to reach right through her coat's thin fabric and under her hand-me-down sweatshirt, and pinch her arms with icy, sharp fingers." Further in Chapter 1, Monty asks Patrice to come to his apartment because he has a favor to ask of her. Patrice's emotion of relief when asked to help Michael, Monty's brother, with homework is described so well: "Patrice glanced from Michael to Monty and felt relief flood through her body." That sentence allows you to visualize the relief she felt after a few minutes of feeling nervous and sick to her stomach. In Chapter 2 (p.29), Jones mentioned Raven, a girl that goes to Patrice's school. It was neat how she explained that Raven fit her name. Raven became a metaphor when she was given the same characteristics as the Raven bird: "Raven was a big black girl with little eyes and a harsh voice. She always seemed to hover around the edges of a conversation, picking up bits of gossip and spitting out the information to anyone who would listen....ravens were known for eating dead bodies after battles and were sometimes associated with death and disaster. With her nasty habit of spreading gossip, even if it hurt other people, Raven was just like the bird."You can feel the tension and irritation Patrice has with her sister throughout the book. Cherise is one who focuses on herself, leaving everyone else out of the picture. Students could relate to this sibling relationship. Not everyone has a closeness with their brothers or sisters and can feel irritation as Patrice does when their brother or sister enters the room.I thought the conversation between Patrice and her sister in Chapter 7 was a great change to the events of the story. We see a different side to Cherise than what Patrice has described to us. We see more of a sister relationship between the two girls where Patrice feels comfortable talking about more personal things that are going on in her life, such as her friendship with Monty, her brother in juvenile boot camp, and applying for the Dogwood Academy scholarship. It was neat how Cherise encouraged the application to Dogwood thinking that it will be good for Patrice to get out of their aunt's house so that their aunt can take care of things herself and drop her second job.Finally, I love how I can feel the emotions Patrice experiences throughout the book. Her relationship with Monty grows so much from Chapter 1 to Chapter 17 and you can experience each emotion of Patrice with every single event that takes place.